RIGA, July 3 (LETA) - Information available to the Constitutional Protection Bureau indicates that one of the key reasons behind Russia's decision to close railway border crossings on the borders with Finland, Estonia, and Latvia is the country's mounting economic problems, the bureau informed LETA.

The Constitutional Protection Bureau points out that Russian companies, including the Russian state company Russian Railways (RZD), are facing financial problems that have been growing worse since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In this context, Russia's decision to close railway border crossings is motivated by practical considerations and serves as a basis for RZD to make decisions aimed at reducing costs associated with maintenance of transport corridors, the bureau explains.

Optimization of various non-military expenditures with the aim of covering the ever-increasing costs of the war in Ukraine is becoming a significant internal problem for Russia, affecting an increasing number of economic sectors, including rail transport, said the Constitutional Protection Bureau.

At the same time, it is possible that Russia's decision to close several railway border crossings could also be used to intensify information operations against the Baltic countries, but in the Constitutional Protection Bureau's assessment, such activities would generally be ineffective and short-lived.

Given that Russia has decided to close little-used rail transport corridors, this will not cause significant economic damage to Latvia, the Constitutional Protection Bureau has concluded.

As reported, effective July 1, 2026 the Russian government has ordered the temporary suspension of the movement of persons, vehicles, goods, and cargo through railway border crossing points on certain sections of the Russian Federation's state border, in accordance with the list provided in the appendix, the Russian government informs.

Most of the border crossing points being closed are on the border with Finland.

Rail traffic has also been completely suspended through the Pechory-Pskov border crossing on the Estonian border, as well as through the Pytalovo border crossing on the border with Latvia. The Pyitalovo border crossing is located on the Rezekne-Karsava-Pytalovo railway line, which connects Latvia with Russia's Pskov Oblast.

Traffic has effectively been suspended only at the Pechory-Pskov and Pytalovo border crossing points, as Russia's border with Finland had already been completely closed based on a decision by Helsinki.

No reasons have been given for the closure of the border crossing points.